Means for establishing visual communication in fluids resistant to light penetration



June 23, 1970 w. GUIER 3,516,723

MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING VISUAL COMMUNICATION IN FLUIDS RESISTANT TO LIGHTPENETRATION Filed Oct. 20, 1966 INVENTOR W/L L lAM GU/ER 3,516,723 MEANSFOR ESTABLISHING VISUAL COMMUNI- CATION IN FLUIDS RESISTANT T LIGHTPENETRATION William Guier, 3100 E. 71st St. Tulsa, Okla. 74105 FiledOct. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 588,157

Int. Cl. G02b US. Cl. 350-63 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Anattachment for a subsea viewplate is connected to a source of clearfluid which is discharged by the passages of the attachment in a columnhaving a core which readily transmits light for viewing, the core beingprovided an incapsulating curtain of the fluid to give definition to thecore shape.

The present invention relates to visual communication through fluidswhich have a high resistance to light transmission. More specifically,the present invention provides a relatively clear column of liquidbetween two points in liquids through which visual contact cannototherwise be established between the two points.

Off-shore drilling and production operations have increasingrequirements for the services of personnel working in diving gear ofsome type. Skin diving is practiced in some areas. A helmet and completesuit must be used at greater depths and longer periods. Submersiblevessels are developed for still greater depths.

Regardless of the type of diving gear employed, a common problemdescends when the work is in waters filled with material in suspension.In many instances the water cannot be penetrated by light, renderingvisual contact impossible. The diving personnel find themselves in a seaof ink and are restricted to working on submerged oil well equipment byfeel. Obviously this limitation slows any work and raises the hazards tothe submerged, working personnel.

The murky waters off the coast of Louisiana are well known for theirobstruction to light. Perhaps the most recent and dramatic of theseproblems are found in Cook Inlet of Alaska. Here intense cold combineswith heavy suspensions of vegetable matter to marke the workingconditions for the diver some of the most demanding in the history ofsubmarine oil production.

By and large, the Cook Inlet diver has given up all attempts to usesight. To avoid breakage, he wears a metal plate over his helmet windowand limits himself to working by feel. Timing his working periods to theebband flow of the swift tides and his endurance to the cold of thesewaters, he fumbles blindly in the few minutes available for his tasks.Obviously some degree of sight would increase the amount of work hecould accomplish in the work periods.

A principal object of the invention is to establish a column of fluidbetween a submarine viewpoint and an object to be viewed which willtransmit light from the object.

Another object is to main the view plate at a submarine viewpointtransparent while the light-transmitting fluid column is established.

Another object is to provide access to a source of relatively clearfluid which is formed into a view-column States Patent O Patented June23, 1970 through the first part of a fluid body obstructing the passageof light, the source being a second portion of the fluid body.

Another object is to provide a jetted stream of fluid as a view-columnand at least a partially reactive, or force compensating, counter jet offluid.

The present invention contemplates forming a column of relatively clearfluid and flowing it from a view point in a lighter-resistive body offluid to an object to be viewed.

Further, the invention contemplates flowing relatively clear fluid, froma source, over the surface of a viewing window at a submarine view pointso as to wash the surface of the window to keep it clear. The wash fluidis then combined with other clear fluid from the source to form a columnof the fluid to transmit light for viewing.

Further, the invention contemplates a conduit and piping system to drawrelatively clear fluid from a first part of a body of fluid and from itinto a view-column through a relatively murky second portion of thefluid body.

Further, the invention contemplates the view-column being formed byjetting it forceably from a fixture mounted on the view plate ofapparatus which receives light for visual communication. The jettingforce is then counter-balanced, at least in part, by a jet of fluid fromstructure which is also mounted on the receiving apparatus and directedin a direction to oppose to the force of the jetted view-column.

Other objects, advantages and features of this invention will becomeapparent to one skilled in the art upon consideration of the writtenspecification, appended claims, and attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of a camera suspended in a body oflight-resistive fluid with a fixture mounted there on with which aview-column of clear water is established in accordance with theinvention to a portion of submerged structure of which a picture isrequired;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of a hard hat, or helmet, of a diving suit towhich a fixture is attached to employ the invention in obtaining a viewthrough a window of the helmet;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of a portion of a submarine vessel at the viewpoint with a conduit suspended from the surface to draw clear water froma layer close to the surface for use in a view-colurrm at a lower layer;

FIG. 4 is a partially sectioned elevation of the housing of FIG. 1 inwhich the invention is embodied; and

FIG. 5 is a section of FIG. 4 taken along lines 44.

GENERAL PLAN Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is disclosed two piecesof diving equipment which employ the present invention. In FIG. 1 aclosed circuit television camera 10 is depicted, lowered on a supportmember 11 and further positioned by a hydraulic piston 12. A view of anobject 13 is desired by camera 10. Inspection of equipment, representedby 13, is possible with receiving equipment at the surface of fluid body14. Preparation for service, or modification, is thereby possible.However, if fluid body 14 has solid matter dispersed and suspended init, very little reflected light may reach camera 10 at the view point.The present invention provides a column .15 of relatively clear fluidbetween the camera and object. Reflected light from the object will thenreach the camera to provide the desired view.

Column 15 is formed by relatively clear fluid discharged, in the desiredpattern, from housing 16. The

fluid is brought from a source, not shown in this FIG. 1, throughconduit 17 and formed into column 15 which extends from the viewingwindow of camera to object 13. Visual communication is therebyestablished.

FIG. 2 discloses a modified version of housing 16. Housing 20 is adaptedand arranged to be mounted over the view part of hardhat, or helmet, 21of a diver submerged in a fluid body 14. Fluid which will transmit lightis conducted to housing 20 through conduit 22. A column 23 is formed,extending from the view plate of helmet 21 to the length the column offluid will be maintained in body 14. The aid of visual contact isthereby available to the diver to support his work on equipmentrepresented by object 13 of FIG. 1.

There are several generalizations appropriate to the general plan ofview-column establishment. Obviously a source of relatively clear fluidmust be provided. The source may require some form of chemical treatmentto give it the proper clarity for use in this application.

The force required to discharge this clear fluid may develop a reactiveforce on the camera, or helmet, which will tend to move these pieces ofequipment from the desired view point. Nozzle 24 may be used todischarge a portion of the clear fluid in a direction to oppose theforce of the view-column discharge and stabilize the equipment at theview point.

The object 13 is seen because it reflects light from an original source.If natural light will not reach object 13 through body 14, an artificialsource must be provided. This source can be located within the camera,or helmet, at the view point. The source can also be mountedindependently and near enough to object 13 to provide the requiredamount of reflected light. The source could even be provided with aseparate column of clear fluid to place enough light on object 13 forthe required reflection along the length of columns and 23 to their viewpoints.

At least two features of the invention are disclosed in FIG. 3. First,it is demonstrated how a source of clear fluid for column 27 can bedrawn from a suitable portion of body 28. The suitable portion could bean upper layer of the fluid of body 28. Conduit 29 is shown elevated byfloat 30 to withdraw the the clear fluid down to housing 26. A pump 31is indicated as included in a conduit system to force the clear fluiddownward and through housing 26 to form view-column 27.

Secondly, the light reflected from the object to be viewed may besupplied from a source within housing 26. This source of light may haveits light directed down viewcolumn 28 and on the object to be viewed.This light, reflected back up the view-column, will then be visible fromthe view point behind housing 26.

Light source 32 is indicated, mounted to one side of the view point. Ashield represents means for directing and focusing the light down column27. Also, the light source is shown against the window of housing 26 toilustrate that the heat generated with light may be exchanged with thefluid passing through the housing and flowing over the viewing window.Thus, the invention provides for directing the fluid into useful heatexchange with light source 32 and subsequently formed into view-column27.

HOUSING 16 FIGS. 4 and 5 disclose the details of housing 16 whichgenerate view-column 15. It is recognized that evolvement of the actualreduction to practice may change the shape and arrangement of manyfeatures of housing 16. However, the concept of the invention should bea common denominator of all such structure.

Basically, housing 16 is a cylindrical tube with a first "passage 40extending axially therethrough. The viewing FIG. 4.

The housing 16 includes a manifold 42 which is con- 4 nected andcommunicated to conduit 17 to receive the clear fluid from its source.This clear fluid must be distributed about first passage 40 to be flowedout in forming column 15. Second passages 43 are arranged to illustratea structure to make the required distribution.

FIG. 5 shows passages 43 as cylindrical in configuration. Of course theymay be other shapes that will provide the distribution which will formthe outer surface of the column 15 to give continuity to the view-columnas a transmitting media of light.

More specifically, the clear fluid discharge from passages 43 are toform a curtain of the fluid about the interior of the view-column. Theinterior of the column is made up of clear fluid discharged down firstpassage 40.

Clear fluid flows from manifold 42 through openings 44 which communicatemanifold 42 with passage 40 near window 41. One or more openings 44 mayalso be arranged as desired about the edge of window 41 to flow theclear fluid in a cleansing action over the surface of the window. Theopenings 44 may be sized, as will provide the desired view-columnextending down passage 40 and out to the viewed object.

Obviously there is going to be a systematic proportioning of the volumesof fluid passing from manifold 42 out passages 43 and passage 40.Possibly the passages 43 will generate a stream of fluid which moves afinite rate faster than the stream from passage 40. This incapsulatingcurtain of fluid on the outside of the column 15 will tend to givesharper definition to the shape of column 15. The view-column, formed ofthe composite streams of fluids will extend farther in body 14 beforebeing dissipated.

Additionally, if required, counter-jet conduit 24 is connected intomanifold 42 to provide any needed stabilization by providing acounter-force to the reaction force of the view-column.

CONCLUSION Although I have utilized the broader term fluid in disclosingthe invention, there is an immediate use for the invention in off-shoreoil production. Note that my broad claim does not limit the invention toeither the specific nature of the submerging fluid or the specificnature of the view-column fluid.

In the immediate application of the invention in the salt water of mostoffshore installations there is usually an adequate source of clearwater and any powering equipment required to force it down and to mynovel structure. There is no question but what the increased viewprovided submarine work will save valuable time in oil productionproblems.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth,together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the method and apparatus.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of theclaim.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matterherein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A structure with which to establish a view path through a water layerhaving solid material suspended in the layer in such quantities as toobstruct the passage of light, including,

a housing of generally cylindrical form with an axial first passagealigned with the view path and adapted to be attached to a viewingwindow,

a source of relatively clear water with which a column is establishedfrom the axial housing first passage to any object which is to be viewedin the murky water layer,

at least one second passage in the housing arranged to discharge waterin the form of an incapsulating curtain of water on the outside of thecolumn established from the axial housing first passage,

conduits formed in the housing to connect the source to the first andsecond passages to direct clear water in the form of an incapsulatedcolumn along the line References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1917Steinmetz 35063 9/1949 Barna 61-70 PAUL R. GILLIAM, Primary Examiner

